We touched down in Johannesburg with that particular mix of excitement and long-haul fatigue. Our first night was at Fairlawns Boutique Hotel & Spa, and I couldn’t have chosen a better place to ease into the journey. Tucked behind high garden walls in the leafy suburb of Morningside, Fairlawns is a world away from the frenetic energy of the city. It’s refined without being stiff and certainly not dull. The kind of place where you really feel like you’ve arrived in Africa, which I think is an important consideration. Often an airport hotel seems like the more convenient option but a stay 30 minutes away really gets the holiday started on a positive note.

We weren’t in Johannesburg long – just long enough to settle, sleep, and set the tone for what was ahead. But Fairlawns made a strong first impression.

Nothing quite prepares you for the beauty of Cape Town when you are blessed enough to visit during sunny weather – arriving and seeing Table Mountain looming over the city, is something else entirely.

We stayed across two properties over three nights: Cape Grace and Cape Cadogan. The contrast was intentional, and it worked beautifully. Cape Grace sits right on the V&A Waterfront – a landmark hotel with a commanding presence, impeccable service, and views that make you linger over breakfast far longer than you planned to watch the seals frolicking in the marina. Cape Cadogan, meanwhile, is a smaller, more intimate property in Upper Gardens, with a boutique feel and a quieter, trendy neighbourhood energy. Their onsite restaurant, Upper House delivered the standout meal of the trip and is an added benefit for guests who get to enjoy their breakfast here. In the lobby they have an amazing copper coffee machine where the barman/barista makes your latte on demand throughout the day. There is also a complimentary afternoon tea and canape service each day. Depending on your tastes, either hotel could be exactly right.

We toured Table Mountain on a clear day (luck was on our side) and then made our way out to Robben Island, where the weight of history is impossible to overstate. We also had the chance to inspect two of the city’s most talked-about properties: The Silo Hotel, perched above the Zeitz MOCAA museum in the old grain elevator, with its dramatic grain-chute windows and extraordinary design; and Ellerman House, a grand Bantry Bay mansion with sweeping Atlantic views and the kind of art collection and wine room that make you forget you’re supposed to be inspecting a hotel.

Cape Town is one of those cities that delivers at every level – culturally, visually and culinarily.

From Cape Town, we headed into the spectacular Winelands. We spent a full day winding through Stellenbosch and Franschhoek – two towns that are impossibly pretty with their mountain backdrops, vine-covered hillsides, and oak-lined streets. You want to linger longer once you understand this is a destination unto itself and worthy of more than a day trip from Cape Town. We were hosted for lunch at Mont Rochelle, Richard Branson’s estate in the hills above Franschhoek, which is as beautiful as you’d hope, with rolling vineyard views, relaxed luxury and excellent wine.

That evening, we checked into La Residence, and this was perhaps the single most memorable night of the trip. La Residence is a striking property: Moorish-inspired architecture, vibrant colours, an extraordinary wine cellar and grounds that feel theatrical in the best possible sense. The team of course knew it was my birthday, as is the way celebrations and special requests are recognised in South Africa. They arranged a celebration Braii over fire in our outdoor kitchen, beside our stunning infinity pool that I genuinely wasn’t expecting. The effort, warmth and attention to detail reminded me exactly why the hospitality in South Africa is spoken about the way it is. I felt completely at home, no need to put on our finery, instead slip into something comfortable and our leopard print slippers, wrap a blanket across our shoulders and enjoy the fire and starry night above us – with exceptional wine and cocktails of course.

And then, the safari. If the cities and the Winelands had charmed us, the bush simply stole our hearts.

We spent five nights across three lodges in the private reserves of Greater Kruger: Thornybush Game Lodge, Lion Sands River Lodge, and Dulini Moya. Each offered something distinct, and together they gave us a comprehensive picture of what a luxury safari in this part of the world actually looks like.

Thornybush is set within its own private reserve bordering Kruger, and from our very first drive it was clear we were in exceptional wildlife territory. The game viewing here was extraordinary, and that’s not a word I use lightly. We encountered leopards on multiple occasions, watched lions with their young cubs and watched elephants pass by the dry creek bed under our verandahs. The guides were exceptional – knowledgeable, calm and passionate about the land they work in, while their spa therapist worked miracles on my tired skin and fatigued bones.

Lion Sands River Lodge sits on the banks of the Sabie River, within the Sabi Sands – arguably the most renowned private game reserve in Africa. The location is dramatic: hippos in the river, elephants at the water’s edge and a constant sense that the bush is just there, just beyond the deck. The lodge itself strikes the right balance between comfort and immersion, where you’re never entirely separate from the wilderness, which is exactly how it should feel. I had last visited this property 16 years earlier and although it is completely rebuilt since then, it still felt like coming home. Our guide doubled as a barista, making our coffee orders to go before our early morning game drives. An Amarula shot is optional but something I’ll always say yes to when in Africa.

Dulini Moya was our final stop, and it sent us home in the best possible way. Intimate, beautifully designed, and sitting within the Dulini Private Nature Reserve in the Sabi Sands – this is the kind of lodge that our clients mean when they say they want something special and of exceptional quality without being too flashy. Lunches are served by the pool and intimate dinners are set up in special locations after you have chosen your preferred bottle of wine from the cellar. With only six suites and two stunning sister properties we also inspected, we fell in love with everything Dulini offered, and the game viewing was exceptional.

I came home dusty, exhilarated, and pleased to have intentionally avoided the news of the world for a few weeks. It’s hard to put into words what a safari actually does to you but it was a reminder of why travellers who’ve done a safari once almost always come back.

South Africa never fails to deliver an enriching experience to guests, full of genuine hospitality and quality game viewing. From my birthday celebration in a Franschhoek vineyard to numerous wild dog sightings, this trip gave me things I couldn’t have imagined.

But more than the memories, I brought home knowledge. The kind that only comes from being there, sleeping in the canopy beds, quizzing my guides with questions, eating the food and feeling the pre-dawn air on my face during a game drive. The kind of knowledge that I took pride in sharing with my fellow travellers, that lets me sit across from a client and know with complete certainty what this will be like for them.

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e: curious@forthandwonder.com.au
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